Youth Whet appetite for Water Management

Last week 17 Christchurch young
people aged between 14 and 27 attended a four-day hui to get
involved in local water management.

The hui was
organised by Environment Canterbury in conjunction with
local hapū and the Canterbury Water Banks Peninsula Zone
Committee.

Akaroa Area School student Moses Bygate
Smith (aged 15) said the youth hui was an invaluable
experience and something more students should get involved
with.

“Before we came to the Koukourarata for the
hui I was particularly interested in the local culture and
history of the area and we were able to learn some really
fascinating stuff about these things.

“As the hui
went on the scientific and environmental aspects of water
and land management really took my interest, and we all
particularly enjoyed the practical exercises we undertook
such as analysing a water sample.

“I wasn’t
really that aware of the challenges facing the local
environment and how challenging it is to balance
biodiversity considerations with economic and cultural ones
so the experience was a real eye-opener.

“I’m
really keen to play a more active role in local water
management and think more young people should be involved in
these kinds of events. I will definitely be telling my
friends and classmates about what I have learnt over the
past few days, and how they can get involved,” he
said.

On the first day of the hui participants were
welcomed on to Koukourarata Marae in Port Levy where they
stayed for three nights and got to learn about the history
and culture of the area.

During the next few days
the students looked at many land and freshwater issues
including land-use, water quality and quantity, the impact
of development on the environment, and biodiversity
values.

The youth hui also included some hands-on
practical exercises such as water quality testing, riparian
planting, and surveying the coastal environment.

At
the conclusion of the hui students were also required to
present their insights and visions for water management in
the future back to the group.

Zone Committee Chair
Richard Simpson said the opportunity to get young people
involved in local water management decisions was
invaluable.

“We were very impressed with the
attitude and interest shown by the participants at the hui.
As a zone committee it is our job to work with locals to
make effective water management decisions and young people
are an important part of the community so it is vital their
views are captured.

“We look forward to seeing
some of these students playing a leadership role in local
water management over the coming years,” he said.

The Banks Peninsula youth hui is the third to be held
across the ten CWMS zones. Local government and regional
authorities are bound by the United Nations Convention on
the Rights of the Child to provide civil, political,
economic, social and cultural rights to all children and
young people.

Sian Carvell, Environment Canterbury
Youth Engagement Team Leader, said the goals and values of
the Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS) require
young people to be involved.

“The vision of the
CWMS is to enable present and future generations the
greatest social, economic, recreational and cultural
benefits from our water resources within an environmentally
sustainable framework.

“Much of the work being
done by each of Canterbury’s ten zone committees on
improving local water management will benefit our children
and their children. For this reason it is vital we get young
people involved in the process now and ensure they have the
information and the interest to contribute.

“By
doing this now we can ensure their views are captured while
also building capacity as Canterbury works towards achieving
the water management targets in the CWMS,” she said.

The 17 students came from Cashmere, and Hilmorton High
Schools, Akaroa Area School, Diamond Harbour School, CPIT,
and Canterbury University.

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